


Til Death We Part

by LuvBusters



Category: The Real Ghostbusters
Genre: Angst, Emotional/Mental Torment, Eventually Rating Might Change to Include Graphic Violence, F/M, Love, Vampires, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:47:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24028393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuvBusters/pseuds/LuvBusters
Summary: The Ghostbusters face an entity like they’ve never encountered before. Can they figure out how to beat it before it’s too late?
Relationships: Janine Melnitz/Egon Spengler
Comments: 50
Kudos: 14





	1. A Call from the Harbor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guys get a call.

It’s a brisk fall morning in New York. Janine Melnitz’s day had already gotten off to a rough start. Her car decided it wasn’t going to crank so she made a mad dash to the subway station. She had just missed the train so she’d have to wait for the next one. She made it to the firehouse five minutes before being declared late for work. 

Venkman used it as an opportunity to tease her, unaware of her ill mood. “You just did make it! Good thing too! I’d hate to have to dock you!” He chuckled.

Janine just glared at him. “Not today, Dr. V! Please?”

Hearing the sadness in her tone, Peter approached her desk, genuinely concerned. “What’s up Janine?”

She sighed heavily as she sank down into her chair. “I’m just tired; tired of my damn car breaking down, tired of taking the subway; tired of ….. just tired.”

He could see the tears she was holding back. “Hey, look, maybe Winston and Ray can do something about your car? They’re real geniuses with auto troubles!”

“Thanks but you guys are gonna be busy this week. I’m not gonna add that to their schedules.”

“Ok, but at least throw it out there. I’m sure they can work it out.”

Janine nodded as she started up her computer. 

Peter headed upstairs to see if Winston and Ray were finished with breakfast yet. “Hey guys! Got a question for ya!”

Winston and Ray both greeted Peter. “Yeah man! What’s up?”

“How much trouble would it be for you two to check out Janine’s car? She had to take the subway this morning.”

“Shouldn’t take long,” Ray replied. “We could stop by one evening and take a look at it.”

“Yeah! Find out what the problem is, price what parts we’ll need, and work on it this weekend!” Winston added.

“Sounds great! I’ll let her know,” Peter said before returning downstairs. 

“All taken care of Red! The auto geniuses will take a look at your car this week after work and get it going by the weekend!”

Janine smiled weakly. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Yeah, I know. But I knew you’d never ask so …..”

“Thanks.”

Peter could still see there was something else bothering Janine but wasn’t sure if he should ask about it. He didn’t have to; the phone rang.

“Ghostbusters!” Janine answered. “Um-hmm, yeah…..yeah. Right…...what?!”

That reaction got Peter’s attention. He waited as Janine wrote down the information. 

“They’ll be there as soon as possible!” she assured the caller, then hung up. She slapped the alarm button; the others appeared in seconds. Ray and Winston taking the fire pole while Egon took the stairs. 

“What was that about?” Peter asked. 

Janine handed him the paper. “Sounds like a possible Class 5! Down near the docks by the harbor. The guy who called is the security guard for the warehouses there. He saw a ‘big, bluish looking creature with wings, claws and a long tail;’ those were his exact words. It scared the construction workers down there half to death! They’ve been renovating the warehouses.”

“Sounds like maybe they woke up something?” Winston suggested.

“Or pissed it off!” Peter added.

“His name is Matt Arnold. He’ll be waiting for you at the guardhouse.”

“Has this creature caused any injuries to anyone?” Egon asked.

“Not yet. One of the workers sprained his ankle trying to get away from it. But no, it hasn’t actually attacked. Mr. Arnold is hoping to get this thing caught before it does.”

“Well, let’s roll!” Ray exclaimed.

The guys suited up and in a few seconds, Ecto-1 was on its way out of the garage. Janine blew Egon a kiss, which resulted in his usual blushing display, as they headed out. Janine just smiled as she resumed her work.

“Man, Egon, you need to ask Janine out!” Winston said lightly. “It’s obvious you two have a connection.”

Blushing even more, Egon replied, “I believe she is currently unavailable. Besides, she’s our secretary. Isn’t there a law regarding that?”

The others chuckled. 

“If it’s consensual, it can’t be sexual harassment. And as for her being unavailable, I’m pretty sure last week’s guy is history,” Peter replied.

“What makes you say?” Ray asked.

“She’s been pissed about something all week; that’s gotta have something to do with it. She was pretty excited before their date last week, so something happened,” Peter replied.

“Perhaps she just wants to keep her private life private?” Egon said, slightly agitated by the topic. 

“Or maybe she’s waiting for a better invitation to be offered?” Peter said to Egon, wiggling his eyebrows. 

Egon rolled his eyes and pulled out his PKE meter. He started fiddling with it; his attempt at changing the subject.

“Well, if you ask me, I think Janine just can’t find the right guy,” Winston suggested. 

“My point exactly!” Peter replied.

It wasn’t long before Ecto pulled into the guard house area. They exited the vehicle; Peter knocked on the door.

A tall black man wearing a security uniform greeted them. “Ghostbusters! Thank goodness! I’m Officer Arnold. I spoke with your secretary.” He was about six feet tall and broad across the shoulders. The bulges of his biceps could be seen through the shirt sleeves. 

Peter stepped forward, shaking Mr. Arnold’s hand. “Hi there! I’m Dr. Venkman. These are my colleagues: Dr. Stantz, Dr. Spengler and Mr. Zeddemore.” 

“Great to meet you all! Let me show you where my men saw this crazy thing!” 

Officer Arnold led the way to the particular warehouse where the creature was last seen. 

Egon followed first with his PKE meter starting to register readings as they got closer to the building. “Power up; it’s on the move, getting closer,” he said. 

The proton packs roared to life. “Officer Arnold, you’d better wait back at the guard house - for your own safety,” Ray suggested. 

“I can help if you need me to?” Officer Arnold offered. 

“No way! If this thing is as bad as we think, that gun you have ain’t gonna cut it!” Winston said. 

“Ok, but I’m here if you need anything.”

“Thanks,” Peter said. 

The Ghostbusters entered the dimly lit warehouse. “TO THE RIGHT!” Egon shouted as the meter’s arms raised all the way. 

The winged creature flew towards them at astonishing speed. “HIT IT!” Peter yelled. 

All four streams shot out, but the creature was able to easily dodge them. It let out a shrill scream as it soared to the left. It dove in again, its front legs stretched out with its long claws visible. 

As it got closer, the guys prepared for another shot. “FULL POWER!” Peter yelled. 

Again, they fired, but again, the creature dodged them. 

“Agile bastard!” Winston muttered. 

“Indeed,” Egon agreed. 

“Let’s split up. It can’t dodge four streams coming from different directions!” Ray suggested.

“Good idea!” Peter agreed. 

They spread out across the area, using crates and boxes to hide behind. The creature reappeared, making a dive towards Ray. 

Ray fired first, then the others joined in one at a time. They temporarily caught it, but after a few minutes, it broke free. 

“This thing is strong!” Peter complained. 

“What if we try again, but all hit it at one time?” Ray suggested. 

“Let’s give it a try,” Peter agreed. 

They stayed in their separate spots, and when the creature returned, Peter gave the order: “NOW!”

They all fired together at full power. But, again it managed to dodge the streams at the last second. 

“DAMN!” Winston shouted.

Egon was making an adjustment to his thrower. “I’m going to try recalibrating my thrower. If it works, you all do the same!” 

Just then, the creature returned and was headed directly for Egon! 

“Spengs, WATCH OUT!” Peter yelled. 

It all happened so quickly. Peter, Winston and Ray fired at the creature, but they stopped so as to not hurt Egon. 

Egon tried to use his thrower to hold the creature back but it knocked him down on the ground. It pinned him down with one clawed hand as the other gripped him by the throat. It’s weight bore down on Egon’s waist and legs so he wasn’t able to kick it off. The creature’s fangs bit down onto Egon’s neck. 

Winston ran up from behind the creature, grabbing it around it’s shoulders. Ray grabbed its back legs while Peter pulled on the tail. Together they were able to get the creature to let go. 

As soon as the creature was off of Egon, it let out another shrill screech, then spread its wings and flew off. 

Winston helped Egon sit up and checked the wound on his neck. “Come on man, let’s get you outta here!”

“Right! We’ll catch this bastard later! You come first, Pal!” Peter agreed.

“I’ll get Ecto!” Ray said and took off. He also stopped by the guard house to update Officer Arnold. He agreed that Egon’s health came first.

By the time Ray got the vehicle up to the warehouse, Winston had examined Egon and thought going to the hospital wasn’t necessary yet. The wound wasn’t as deep as they had thought and wouldn’t need stitches. So, Peter held a hand towel he found in Ecto on the wound to keep pressure on it. By the time they got back to the firehouse, the bleeding had stopped.

Once they exited the vehicle, Janine saw the dried blood on Egon’s shirt collar and ran up to him. “EGON! Are you OK?! What HAPPENED?!” 

“Nothing as bad as it looks,” Ray assured her. 

“Yeah, he won’t even need stitches!” Peter said. 

Egon smiled warmly at Janine and gently removed her hands from his arm. “I’m fine, Janine. I appreciate your concern, but I’m ok - really. I’m just tired.” He started upstairs towards the bunk room.

“Do you need me to help with anything?” Janine offered. 

“I think all he really needs is some rest,” Winston said nicely. 

“Seriously, Red. Go on to lunch. We’ll let you know if something should change,” Peter said. 

“Promise me you’ll tell me!”

“I promise.”

Janine gave them a somewhat uneasy look, but realizing there wasn’t anything she could do, she grabbed her purse and left for lunch. 

The guys went to the bunk room; Egon had changed into his pajamas and laid down. Ray checked him for a fever. 

“His temperature is normal.”

“He doesn’t seem to be in any distress,” Winston agreed. 

“Let’s just give him some space but keep our eyes open,” Peter quietly suggested.

They all agreed and left the room. 

Egon continued to sleep peacefully.


	2. First Bite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Egon is acting strange.

Janine returned from lunch an hour later. She went upstairs to the kitchen. Winston was finishing his hamburger and Ray was sitting at the table looking through his reference book. Peter was in the rec room watching a tv show. 

“Hey guys! How’s Egon?” The worry in Janine’s voice was obvious.

“He’s still asleep,” Winston replied.

“Wow! What happened exactly?” She sat down next to Ray.

“We went into the warehouse. Egon’s PKE meter picked up the entity and we got ready for it,” Winston explained. “This huge thing with wings and a long tail came outta nowhere, headed straight for us! We fired several times, but the damn thing kept dodging the streams. We caught it a couple of times but still couldn’t hold it. Egon started recalibrating his thrower when this thing circled back to attack. Before we could do anything, it knocked Egon down and bit his neck.”

“Oh my gosh! Is it normal for him to be sleeping so long? Don’t you think he should’ve went to the hospital? Is he ok? Has anybody checked him?” Janine rambled at the speed of light. 

“First of all, slow down,” Peter said as he walked to the fridge for a soda. “Second, we’ve checked on him three times since you went to lunch. He’s not showing any signs of distress.”

“Maybe I should go check on him?” Janine suggested as she stood. She hurried up to the bunk room.

Winston smiled. “You do realize she’s gonna be up there all day now?”

Peter grinned, too. “Probably. But if it keeps her quiet, let her go ahead.” He returned to the rec room to watch tv.

******************  
Janine walked quietly into the bunk room and up to Egon’s bedside. She watched him for a moment, smiling at how peaceful he was. “Gosh, he’s even more handsome when he’s asleep,” she thought. She lightly placed her hand against his forehead. “Good, doesn’t feel like he has a fever,” she whispered to herself. She finally felt satisfied that Egon was ok so she left. 

As she returned to her desk, she passed the rec room. “Is your dear physicist doing ok?” Peter teased. 

“He’s fine,” Janine shot back. “No fever, just sleeping.”

Peter chuckled as he continued watching his show. 

Winston had finished his burger and was looking at Ray’s book from across the table. “What are you so focused on?”

“Something about that creature - I’ve seen a picture of it somewhere.”

“Something bad?”

“Not sure.” Ray finally closed the book in frustration. “I’m going back to the lab. I’ve got a few more books there.” He got up and headed towards the lab. 

Winston put his plate in the kitchen sink and went downstairs to start cleaning up Ecto. They had been in such a hurry to get Egon back that they hadn’t taken the time to put up the packs. 

Back in the bunk room, Egon started to wake. He opened his eyes and slowly looked around. He was a bit disoriented at first. He reached over to the night stand and grabbed his glasses. He sat up and steadied himself. He slowly got up out of bed and went downstairs. 

He reached the rec room and saw Peter watching tv. Egon started feeling an unusual feeling - an urge that he didn’t understand. He quietly walked up behind Peter sitting on the couch. 

Peter turned his head slightly and jumped when he saw Egon hovering. “Damn Spengs! What are you trying to do - scare the shit out of me?!”

“Sorry Peter. I didn’t intend to do that.” Egon walked around and sat down next to Peter. 

“How are you feeling? Janine’s a nervous wreck; you should probably go down and see her.” Peter grinned smugly. 

“I will, but I wanted to come in here first.” He looked straight ahead at the tv but wasn’t really paying attention.

Peter looked at his friend more closely. “You sure you don’t need more rest? You look pale!”

“I’m fine.” Egon still stared ahead.

Not sure of what else to do, Peter resumed watching tv. “Are you hungry? Want something to eat?”

That seemed to snap Egon out of his trance. “Yes! I’ll get it!” He got up and went into the kitchen. He looked in the kitchen drawer and pulled out a hand towel. 

He walked back towards the couch, coming up on Peter from behind. In a flash, Egon held the towel over Peter’s nose and mouth with one hand while leaning over from the right side.

Peter thrashed violently but Egon was too strong. Egon had developed fangs; he bit Peter on the neck. Within a few seconds, Peter slumped over on the couch unconscious. 

Egon wiped the blood from his mouth; smiling, he went downstairs. 

Janine looked up and saw him. Her face lit up instantly. “Egon! You’re awake! How are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling much better now, thank you,” he replied. 

The extra bass in his voice made Janine’s heart race. She watched him as he slowly sauntered to her desk and then up beside her chair. His eyes never left hers, a seductive smile playing on his lips. 

He reached out a hand to her. “I’ve been thinking; I need to show you something.”

Janine took his hand and walked with him to the basement stairs. She was delighted in the attention Egon was showing her and couldn’t wait to see what this surprise was. 

Winston had seen Egon and Janine going downstairs as he was putting the proton packs up to charge. He thought it a bit odd that they were doing that but didn’t ponder on it too much. 

Meanwhile, Egon had led Janine down to the basement. She was standing in front of the washer and dryer when Egon stood behind her. He placed his hands on her waist. 

Janine’s blood rushes through her veins at his touch. She closed her eyes, waiting to see what was next. 

It wasn’t what she had expected.

At first, she felt Egon’s lips graze tenderly behind her ear. Her knees nearly buckled as she felt his grip on her waist tighten and his lips slowly kissing down her neck. “Ohhh …… Egon! Finally!!” She leaned her head to the left, allowing him to kiss her neck better. 

His arms wrapped around her waist, tightening his grip to almost hurting her. His kisses became rougher, more demanding. Then, he started biting her neck.

“E-Egon? You-you’re hurting!” 

Janine felt a tinge of extreme pain.

“OW! WHAT THE—?!” She pulled away and spun around, just in time to see his fangs. “HOLY SHIT! WINSTON! HELP ME!” she screamed.

Egon walked towards her slowly, backing her up against the wall like a predator preparing to pounce on his prey. 

“Egon, snap out of it! What’s WRONG with YOU?!”

“It’s the best feeling in the world; I want to share it with you,” he said, his voice a low, sensual sound.

“WINSTON!!”

Suddenly, Winston threw open the door leading to the basement. He had a powered up proton pack on his back, Ray following on his heels. 

“GET AWAY FROM HER!” Winston demanded, firing a low powered stream just to Egon’s left as a warning shot.

Egon turned around, hissing like an angry cat at the two men. His fangs were very visible as he took a defensive stance.

Ray ran in front of Winston with a cross necklace. “BEHOLD MY POWER! YOU HAVE NONE OVER THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!” Ray shouted as he held the cross out in front of himself. 

Egon stood still, his expression softening. Janine stood terrified as she watched Ray hook the necklace around Egon’s neck. 

“Janine, go upstairs with Winston,” Ray instructed.

“You can’t stay down here with him alone!” Winston said.

“I won’t. I’m gonna lead him back up to the lab. As long as he wears this necklace, he’ll do what I say.”

Winston helped Janine upstairs. Her body was trembling as she held her hand against her neck. 

Ray took Egon upstairs to the lab and closed the door, using a chair pushed underneath the doorknob to keep it closed since it locked from the inside. He then ran to the kitchen where Winston and Janine were. 

Janine saw Peter lying on the couch. He was still unconscious but had a bandage over his neck. He was also wearing a cross necklace. 

Winston was examining her neck wound as Ray came into the area. 

“Will somebody tell me what the HELL is going ON?!” she shouted.

Ray began. “I found what I was looking for! The creature we encountered at the docks is a vampiric spirit! It bites it’s victims on the neck to create a bond. Then it uses this bond to control that person or persons.”

“For what? Some vampire take over the world plan?” she asked sarcastically.

“Not really. This particular spirit uses this bond to make people do whatever it wants. Sort of like a cat playing with a mouse before it eats it.”

Janine teared up. “So...me and Peter …. are gonna …?”

“No! I don’t believe the bite you received from Egon was deep enough,” Ray said.

“Didn’t even break the skin,” Winston replied. “Although now it just looks like a hickey.” He smiled at Janine when she glared at him. 

“What about Pete?” Winston asked.

“I bandaged him up as soon as I found him. I had come in here to gather everybody and go over what I’d found. Then I saw Peter and figured out what must’ve happened. I had another cross necklace so I put it on him just to be sure,” Ray explained.

“So what happens now?” Janine asked.

“I’ve got Iggy locked in the lab with the necklace still on. We’ve gotta find that ghost and capture it. That should reverse everything.”

“Should?” Winston asked.

“Yeah. I’ve got more research to do but I might have to develop an antidote. In the meantime, don’t let Iggy out and keep an eye on Peter.”

“Ray, are they aware of their actions?” Janine asked. “I mean, Egon came on to me. How would he know to do that?”

“Hmm, not sure. But I’ve gotta go get more books from the bookstore. Can you and Winston keep an eye on them until I get back?” Ray asked.

“Yeah, go ahead! We’ve got this!” Winston said. 

After Ray had left, Winston noticed Janine’s uneasiness. “What’s wrong, Janine?”

“It’s just …. everybody knows how I feel about Egon. Even him. I’ve been trying to move on and have gone out on a few dates. But none of them are right. I never let any of them go too far because I’m just not interested. I don’t wanna lead them on if it’s not going anywhere.”

“That’s okay and you’re doing the right thing,” Winston reassured her. “But what’s bothering you exactly?”

“It’s like he knew the things I wanted him to do,” she said. “He came up behind me, grabbed me by the waist and started kissing me on the neck. I’ve fantasized about that so many times!” She blushed slightly. “Sorry, that’s probably more than you wanted to know.”

Winston just smiled. “Nah, it’s alright. Me, Ray and Pete have always been rooting for the two of you.”

“Really?!” she asked excitedly.

“Yeah! You two make a good couple: your beauty and his brains - perfect combination!” He gave her a playful wink. “Now, help me peek in on Pete, ok?”

She nodded.

As they approached the couch in the rec room, Peter could be seen, still unconscious. Winston cautiously took Peter’s wrist and calculated his pulse. 

“His pulse is good and strong,” he told Janine. 

“So he’s just asleep?”

“Yeah. The necklace is still around his neck so he should be ok.”

Just then, a thumping sound could be heard downstairs. 

“Sounds like it’s coming from the lab?” Janine said.

“Let’s go see what Egon’s doing!” Winston led the way down to the lab. It sounded like Egon was pounding on the door. “Stop Egon! We can’t let you out yet!”

“How’s he moving if the necklace is still on?” Janine asked.

“Good question.”

“Winston? Janine? What’s going on?” Egon asked.

“You were bitten by that ghost at the warehouse,” Winston explained. “Where’s the necklace?”

“Necklace? Oh! It’s around my neck!” 

Winston and Janine exchanged confused looks. 

“Look Egon. You’ve attacked Peter and tried to attack Janine. That’s why we locked you in the lab,” Winston said.

“I-I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok! I understand why it happened.”

“Can I bother either of you to give me some water?” Egon asked. “I’m very thirsty.”

“Sorry man. No can do. At least not until Ray gets back. I hope you understand?”

“Of course. I’ll wait quietly.” 

Janine looked at Winston. “Can’t we do something? Please?” Her eyes pleaded with Winston.

He placed his hands on her shoulders. “I’m sorry, Janine. I know you don’t like this, but we can’t take any chances. We don’t know enough about this stuff to know why or how Egon can move and talk while still wearing the necklace. It might be a trick. Just be patient. As soon as Ray gets back, we’ll ask, ok?”

“Ok,” she reluctantly agreed.

“Come on, let’s go downstairs.”

Janine followed Winston down to the first floor, but she looked back over her shoulder longingly at the lab door. “I’m sorry, Egon,” she muttered.


	3. Friends/Enemies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winston, Ray and Janine face off against Peter.

Janine sat down at her desk while Winston perched on the front corner. 

“I know you wanna help him, but we need to talk to Ray.”

“I know,” she replied sadly.

Soon after, Ray returned to the firehouse. He was carrying two thick books. 

“Please tell us you’ve got good news, man!”

“I do, Winston!” Ray replied happily. He set the books down on Janine’s desk and pulled up one of the client chairs. He opened one book and began to explain. “This spirit is vampiric. Some of these spirits bite people to turn them into warriors. They go through their neighborhoods biting others and build up an army. Then there are spirits that use the bites as a way to control those it bites.”

“For what reason?” Janine asked.

“The first type builds armies to take over territories. I don’t believe that’s the one we’ve encountered.” Ray showed Winston and Janine a picture of that spirit. 

“That looks more like the pictures of vampires on tv,” Winston said. “Looks like a human.”

“Right! Now here’s a picture of the other one; the type that controls people.” Ray flipped over a few pages to another picture.

“THAT’S what bit EGON?!” Janine shouted, immediately tearing up.

“Yeah, pretty strong, too!” Winston said.

“But why does it control people?” Janine asked.

“Nobody knows for sure, but experts theorize that it’s just for its sick enjoyment.”

“We’ve got a question,” Winston said. “Egon was able to move and talk to us while wearing the cross necklace! How’s that possible? You said it would keep him quiet?”

“Yeah, and Dr. V is still knocked out and quiet! What’s the difference?” Janine added. 

Ray thought for a moment. “Egon might be trying to override the ghost’s control but not quite able to. Or ….”

“Or?” Winston and Janine said together.

“He’s lying.”

“LYING?!” Janine said. “How? He shouldn’t even be able to TALK?!”

“This ghost is very strong, Janine. Both physically and mentally. If Egon is trying to fight it’s control, it’s not going to be easy. The ghost can see into its victims' minds and memories, according to my research. It can be using our friendship with Egon to use against us.”

“Well, that explains why he came onto me the way he did,” Janine admitted. “Guess he really does care?” Then she frowned. “Unless it’s a trick?”

“But we heard him pounding on the door. How is he able to move?” Winston asked.

Ray opened the other book. He took a few minutes to read one section. “This is it! It says here that cross necklaces or pendants only keep the victim subdued for a short time. Eventually, the ghost is able to make the victim break the control of the necklace.”

“Then we’d better go make sure Peter is ok!” Winston said urgently.

“I’m fine! What’s the problem?” Peter asked from the staircase. He had a mischievous grin on his face. 

“Oh shit!” Janine mumbled.

Winston stepped in front of Janine, quickly noticing that Peter wasn’t wearing the necklace. “Hey man! Where’s your necklace?” He tried to sound casual.

Ray started flipping through his book. They can’t use proton packs on humans so he was frantically searching for a spell that would help.

Peter continued down the stairs towards the others. “I got rid of it. It didn’t really ‘go’ with my outfit, ya know?” He laughed but not his usual laugh; it sounded evil.

Janine stepped over to her desk, discreetly grabbing the letter opener and keeping it hidden by her side.

Winston stood in front of Peter, preparing himself to handle him if it came to it. “We just thought it would help you feel better.”

“I feel fine. In fact, this is the best I’ve ever felt! You can too.” He took a few steps closer.

“Peter, you’re under the control of a vampiric spirit,” Winston said. “Try to fight it.”

“Why fight it? You’ll see; you all will.” Peter lunged at Winston, grabbing him by the throat. 

Winston grabbed Peter’s wrists, trying to loosen his grip. But Peter had supernatural strength, just as Egon had. He didn’t want to hurt Peter, but he was also prepared to defend himself. Winston released Peter’s wrists and raised his hands up, balling them into fists. He brought them down hard onto Peter’s arms right where the arms bend. 

“AAAGGHH!” Peter screamed as he released Winston’s throat. He stepped back a few steps. 

Winston kept going, punching him with a solid right hook. 

Janine had used this opportunity to run upstairs and find the cross necklace. She returned downstairs as Peter was serving a punch to Winston’s stomach. 

As Winston was knelt down onto the floor catching his breath, Peter ran to him, pushing him down the rest of the way to the floor. Peter hovered over Winston, one knee bearing down onto his gut to hold him still. Peter had one hand holding down Winston’s shoulder while the other one was holding his head. 

“Stop fighting this Winston!”

“Pete …. don’t …. do this,” Winston muttered, unable to move. 

Suddenly, Peter sat straight up as he felt pain in his left side. He looked down and saw blood seeping from a small cut. 

Janine was standing behind him with the letter opener in her hand. She used the moment to push Peter off of Winston. 

Winston got up and rushed over, pinning Peter down. “Janine! The necklace!”

She ran over and put the necklace back around Peter’s neck. Instantly, he calmed and remained still. 

Janine sat down on the bottom step and began to cry. Winston sat down next to her, putting an arm around her shoulder. 

“It’s ok, Janine. He’s ok. I’ll bandage the wound; it’s just a superficial cut.”

“I just tried to help without hurting him too much. I know he doesn’t mean it.” She cried.

Ray stepped over. “Sorry I didn’t help, but I think I’ve found something that will help us!”

“If you can figure out how to stop this thing Ray, I’m all ears!” Winston said.

“This book says that we need to capture the spirit. That will sever his control over the victims!”

“But how long do we have before the necklace’s effect wears off?” Janine asked. 

“Last time, it was on him for an hour,” Ray said. 

Winston checked his watch. “Alright. Any idea on how to find it?” 

Ray kept reading. “It says here that the spirit usually stays close by to its victims; it can’t maintain control of them if it’s too far away.”

Janine ran to Egon’s locker and took the extra PKE meter out. She turned it on. In seconds, it registered a Class 5 entity nearby. “Guys! Get the packs - NOW!”


	4. Meeting the Spirit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winston, Ray and Janine come face to face with the vampiric spirit - sort of.

Ray and Winston geared up quickly as Janine grabbed Peter’s extra jumpsuit. She also geared up and kept an eye on the PKE meter. 

“Where’s it at?” Winston asked.

“Looks like it’s a block over!” Janine replied.

“Ok. If we can catch it, that’ll break the connection it has with Egon and Peter!” Ray explained.

“What about their fangs and vampire tendencies?” Janine asked.

“That’ll reverse, too.”

“Then let’s make sure we get this thing!” Winston declared.

They stood in the garage area, ready and waiting. Then, the arms on the meter returned to the silent position. 

“What the HELL?!” Janine yelled. “It’s … it’s …. GONE!”

“How’s that possible?!” Ray asked. He checked the meter to ensure it was working correctly. “The diagnostic test shows it’s working!”

“Then what? The thing just disappeared?” Winston asked.

Suddenly, a loud boom was heard from the lab upstairs. 

“EGON!” Janine screamed. She was first as they headed up the stairs.

Ray moved the chair that he had used to block the door from opening. He carefully opened the door while Winston and Janine stood ready to fire if necessary. 

Slowly, Ray entered the lab. He quickly saw Egon lying on the floor on the far side of the room. His work table had been turned over, his notes scattered everywhere. 

Janine ran over to him, kneeling down beside him. She gently pushed his hair off of his face. “I need the first aid kit!” 

Winston ran to the bathroom and soon returned, handing it to her. “Be careful, Janine.”

She cleaned up the small cut on Egon’s forehead and applied a bandage. 

Winston was knelt beside Egon taking his pulse. He looked at Ray, a grim expression on his face. 

Ray blinked, suddenly realizing what had happened, yelled, “JANINE! WINSTON! GET BACK!”

In a flash, Winston stood grabbing Janine by the shoulders. He pulled her up and they stepped back right before Egon’s eyes opened. He stood and looked at them, his eyes an eerie red color. 

Ray had his thrower primed and ready. “He’s possessed! That’s why we lost the signal; it’s IN HIM!” 

Winston and Janine pulled their throwers, too. 

Egon grinned. “You cannot use your weapons against me in this form!”

“Yes but you can’t stay in there forever!” Ray countered. 

“Why not? I like it here.” 

“Let’s go - NOW!” Ray urged, making a run for the door. Winston and Janine followed, closing the door behind them. Ray replaced the chair under the doorknob to prevent Egon from getting out. 

“Ok, Ray. What’s going on?” Janine asked, annoyed.

“The spirit has the ability to possess its victims. But it can only stay in their bodies for a short period of time. It draws its power from their essence, not their actual bodies.”

“What’s that mean? Essence?” Janine asked.

“It means that the vampiric spirit is that - a spirit. It derives its power from the emotions of its victims. The stronger their emotions, the more power it has.”

“That’s why it’s possessed Egon? Because his emotions are stronger?” Winston asked.

“Possibly. Or perhaps because he’s …. well..,”

“Because he’s mastered how to suppress them?” Janine finished. “He’s stronger because he’s learned how to hide his emotions? That’s gotta take strength, right? Willpower?”

“That’s exactly right, Janine. I just …. I’m sorry if it upset you.”

“I’m fine, Ray but thanks.”

“I think we need to move Pete back up to the rec room while he’s out,” Winston suggested. 

“Yeah! I’ll help you,” Ray offered. 

Janine helped them get Peter comfortable on the couch, making sure the cross necklace was hooked around his neck. 

“So, what’s the plan?” Winston asked. “The longer the spirit stays in Egon, does it get weaker?”

“Not weaker but it just can’t sustain itself for long,” Ray explained.

“Can we lure it out?” Janine asked.

“I don’t know. The spirit will likely remove itself when it needs more power. We just need to be ready when it does.”

“So we just wait it out?” Winston asked.

“There’s a couple other things we could try,” Ray said slowly. “But, I’m only comfortable with one of them.”

“Which is?” Janine asked.

“We could force it out with a spell I’ve found, then bust it.”

“Or?” Winston asked.

“Last resort: dip a wooden stake in holy water and stab Egon through the chest.”

“NO!” Janine screamed, tearing up instantly.

“That’s why it’s last resort: I’m not going to do that,” Ray assured her.

“Then me and Janine will be ready; you get that spell done,” Winston said.

Ray found the spell and once again, they removed the chair from the lab door. As soon as Winston opened the door, Ray started reciting the spell. Winston and Janine stood, ready to fire when the spirit exited.

Egon stood staring at them defiantly. He laughed evilly. “You think that is going to work?! You are such primitive beings! I’m very happy here. This person is quite yummy!”

Ray repeated the spell, this time speaking more confidently and louder. But it still wasn’t strong enough. They left the lab again, quickly locking it back as before. 

“Damn! I was sure that would work!” Ray shouted.

“Why didn’t it?” Janine asked.

Ray shook his head. “I’m not sure. Maybe I mispronounced something?”

“It’s ok. We’ll just wait it out,” Winston reassured him.

“We don’t have time. Peter is gonna be back up soon. We can keep putting the necklace on, but I’m not sure how much longer that’s gonna work,” Ray said, slightly upset.

As Ray and Winston sat at the kitchen table discussing other possible plans, Janine decided to try something on her own. 

She stood outside the lab door, took a deep breath and removed the chair. “If this thing works on emotions, then let’s see if I can get Egon to let his guard down long enough to catch this thing,” she thought to herself. 

Egon was sitting on the couch but stood as soon as he saw Janine. “I was wondering how long it would take for you to come back.” He smiled what would’ve been a very sexy smile if his eyes weren’t red. 

“Hello Egon. You know me, I can’t stay away from you for long,” she offered a seductive smile. She had her proton pack on and her thrower in her left hand. 

“Why don’t you remove the weapon?”

“Why don’t you just focus on me?” she purred, walking up to him and idly fiddling with his tie. 

Egon leaned in and placed his hands on her shoulders. He gripped her tightly as he started placing kisses along her jawline and neck. “You know how I feel about you,” he whispered in her ear.

Janine had to remind herself that Egon was not himself and was trying to bite her to turn her into a vampire. “This just ain’t fair,” she thought to herself as Egon’s touch was almost more than she could handle. 

Just then, Winston came in. “Janine!” He shouted as he took out the cross necklace from his pocket and held it in front of Egon. 

Egon instantly stepped back, hissing and grimacing. Winston pulled Janine back to stand behind him. “Get outta here, Janine! We’ve gotta lock the door!”

She did as instructed, tears streaming down her face. Winston hung the necklace on the doorknob on the inside of the lab door, then closed the door and replaced the chair. He turned to see that Janine had been reduced to a pile of tears. 

He rushed over and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Hey, it’s ok. He’s gonna be alright as soon as Ray figures out something.” He spoke softly to reassure her. 

“I’m … I’m sorry …. I knew better … than to go in there …. alone,” Janine said in between snubs. 

“Look, it’s ok. I should’ve known that he’d try something sooner or later.”

“I just wish he’d act like that without being influenced by a vampiric spirit.” 

“Hey, remember what Ray said? That spirit plays on emotions that are already there.”

“Yeah, emotions that Egon knows how to suppress.”

“You two need to talk after this whole thing is over; straighten out what feelings are there - suppressed or not.”

Janine just smiled weakly as she wiped away her tears. 

“You got it together?” Winston asked.

She nodded. 

“Ok, let’s see if Ray has come up with anything else.”


	5. Last Resort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winston, Ray and Janine must use their last resort to save Egon. But at what cost?

Winston and Janine returned to the kitchen. Ray looked up from his book, looking very upset.

“Is everything ok?” Ray asked.

“Yeah, I just thought I could get Egon to lower his guard and catch him,” Janine said sadly. “But he almost caught me.”

“He’s still locked in the lab,” Winston added. “What have you found?”

“I went back over the spell to see why it didn’t work. I pronounced everything correctly; I’m afraid the spirit is just that strong.”

“What’s that mean?” Janine asked, her voice cracking.

“It means that the last resort might be our only chance.”

“NO! You said you WOULDN’T!” she screamed.

“Janine, I don’t know of any other way,” Ray pleaded. “That’s the only way to weaken him enough and force the spirit out! It’ll also free Peter from the connection!”

“But how are we gonna get close enough to get it done?” Winston asked.

Then, both men looked at Janine. “Shit,” she muttered.

*******************  
Soon, Ray had a wooden stake ready. He had dipped it in holy water and handed it to Janine. Her hands trembled as she took it.

“Remember Janine: if you can break the skin, that should be enough for the holy water to penetrate and force the spirit out. Then me and Winston can bust the damn thing and Iggy will still be ok!”

Janine nodded and bit her bottom lip. 

Winston gently placed his hand on her shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. “You can do this.”

She took a deep breath and opened the lab door. As she walked into the room, she heard the proton packs power up. She had the stake hidden in the side pocket on the left leg of her jumpsuit. 

Egon saw her and walked up to her. “Having second thoughts?” he asked, arching an eyebrow. 

“I love you and want to be with you, no matter what,” she replied. Deep down, she knew that to be true.

Egon had Janine backed up against the wall of the lab. She was out of time and nowhere to go. There was only one way left to reverse Egon’s condition, but she honestly did not know if she could do it. 

“Stop fighting me, stop fighting us,” he whispered huskily, his eyes as red as blood. 

Janine’s blue eyes never left his. “You know this isn’t how it’s supposed to be,” she said softly, her eyes tearing up. “I can’t do this.”

Egon pressed his body against hers, placing his hands firmly on her shoulders. “All you need to do is remain still. I’ll take care of the rest. It will only take a moment.” He leaned down, revealing his sharp fangs. 

He was just about to bite down deeply on her neck when suddenly, Janine lunged forward. She had slowly removed the wooden stake from her side pocket while he was preparing to bite. Egon staggered backwards a few steps. He looked down, seeing the stake that had been pushed into his chest area. The coldness swept over his entire body, leaving him weak. He dropped to the floor, unconscious.

Winston and Ray came rushing into the lab as they heard Janine’s screams. They found her kneeling beside Egon’s lifeless body. She had thrown herself across his chest, holding onto his shoulders. He and Ray had abandoned their plan of busting the ghost once they saw the scene in front of them. 

Ray ran to her, kneeling down and pulling her off of Egon. Janine’s head dropped back against Ray’s shoulder. It was then that he saw it. “WINSTON! WE’VE GOT A PROBLEM!”

Winston rushed over, leaning over Ray and Janine. “Oh SHIT! She’s SLIT HER WRIST!” 

Winston ran to the work table and grabbed some cloths that Egon keeps nearby in case of accidental spills. He raced back to Ray and tightly wrapped Janine’s wrists to keep the pressure applied to her wounds. He then turned his attention to Egon. It was a horrific sight looking at him lying there with blood seeping out from the stab wound that Janine had caused. He ran to the phone on Egon’s desk and called for an ambulance. 

“What do we tell the paramedics?! The doctors?!” Ray asked in a panic. 

“I’ll explain everything. But this is more than I can handle,” Winston said. 

As they waited for the ambulance, Ray held Janine in his arms as she passed out. Winston was applying pressure to Egon’s wound. “They’ll have to surgically remove the stake. She was able to get it in there a bit further than we had thought. But his pulse is getting stronger; looks like he’s gonna be ok”

“I’m worried, Winston. She’s lost a lot of blood. The cuts are pretty deep.”

“What did she use?”

Ray looked around, then he saw it: the letter opener she had used earlier to cut Peter’s side when he had attacked Winston. “Why did she do it?”

“Maybe she was just so upset? Are you picking up anything on the PKE meter?”

Ray checked the meter; it was silent. He shook his head.

Just then, they heard the ambulance arriving. Winston ran downstairs to direct the paramedics. When they reached the lab and saw what had happened, they both gasped. 

“What the …?”

“I’ll explain on the way to the hospital,” Winston urged. “Please, just help them!”

The paramedics worked quickly to get both Egon and Janine to the ambulance. Winston rode with them as Ray checked on Peter. 

Peter was starting to wake up, his eyes already back to green. He sat up but was a bit disoriented. “What happened?”

“We had you here on the couch with a cross around your neck,” Ray explained. “But Egon had become possessed and needed to be dealt with quickly.”

What happened?” Peter’s voice was thick with concern.

“Our last resort was to use a wooden stake dipped in holy water …,”

“YOU IMPALED HIM?!”

“Not exactly. We figured Janine would be able to get the closest to Egon without him detecting our plan. She wasn’t supposed to impale him completely; just enough to break the skin so the holy water could get in and force the spirit out of him.”

“Then what happened?”

“We were gonna bust the spirit when it left Egon, but once we realized what all had happened, we ditched that idea. Winston called the ambulance and he’s riding with them to the hospital.”

“How is he?! How’s Janine?!” 

“Why don’t you freshen up and we’ll go see them,” Ray suggested. 

Peter’s eyes narrowed. “What aren’t you telling me, Tex?”

Ray swallowed hard. “Egon’s condition looks like he’s stable. Janine wasn’t strong enough to push the stake in far enough to do any major damage. He lost some blood but nothing to worry about.”

“What about Janine?” Peter asked as he stood up.

“We suspect that she was so grief stricken with what she had to do that she slit both wrists after she had stabbed Egon. She lost a lot of blood.”

“But she’s ok, right?!” 

Ray didn’t say anything, just looked down at the floor. 

“RAY?!”

“We should go to the hospital,” Ray answered as he stood up.


	6. Seeking Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Egon and Janine are being treated at the hospital. But the guys soon realize their problems are bigger than they thought.

Ray did a quick check on Peter to make sure the hold from the vampiric spirit was broken. The PKE meter proved that he was indeed back to normal. But Ray insisted he wear the cross necklace, just to be safe. 

They took Ecto-1 to the hospital. Ray and Peter met Winston in the waiting area. 

“Any word?” Ray asked.

“Not yet,” Winston replied. “They haven’t been back very long. Egon was rushed to emergency surgery; I think they’re planning on putting Janine on the psych floor.”

“But she’s not crazy!” Peter shouted, getting glares from a few sick patients in the waiting room.

“We don’t really know why she did what she did,” Ray pointed out. “I don’t think she is either, but who knows what she thought?”

“How would you feel if you had to stab someone you love?” Winston asked.

The three remained silent while they anxiously waited for news on their friends.

Finally, the doctor came out to update the Ghostbusters. “Hello gentlemen. I’m Dr. Robert Adams. Dr. Spengler is out of surgery and recovering well. The weapon wasn’t pushed in far enough to cause any major injuries to any organs. He’ll be sore for a few days, but otherwise, seems to be doing well. We’ll be transferring him to a regular room soon.”

“What about Janine?” Ray asked worriedly.

“I’ll have Dr. Raines speak with you. She’s the lead psychiatrist on call right now.” He excused himself and left.

The guys once again waited. Another thirty minutes passed before a nurse came out. She directed them to the room where Egon was being transferred to. While Winston and Peter went into the room, Ray hung back at the nurse’s station. He found out what room Janine was in before joining the others. 

Egon was sitting up in bed, a big bandage wrapped around the middle of his chest. He was smiling and seemed to be in overall good spirits. 

“Sorry about all this, Spengs,” Peter said. “How you feelin?”

“Not bad considering I’ve had a wooden stake stabbed through me,” he lightly chuckled. 

“What do you remember?” Winston asked. “Me and Ray were hanging back outside the lab and didn’t see it.”

Egon thought hard for a moment before speaking. “It’s a bit of a blur but I remember walking up to Janine. I thought she was going to kiss me; she was flirting like she usually does.” He blushed. “Then the next thing I remember is falling backwards onto the floor. I felt very cold and could hear Janine screaming. That’s it.”

“Excuse me for a minute,” Ray excused himself from the room.

Egon looked confused. “What’s going on?”

“We don’t know why, but Janine slit her wrists,” Winston said slowly. 

Egon’s eyes widened in shock. 

“That’s probably where Ray went; to check on her,” Peter said, trying to reassure his friend.

A nurse came in to give Egon some pain medication. The men talked amongst themselves for a few minutes. Ray returned. 

The guys looked at him worriedly.

Ray took a deep breath before speaking. “I spoke with Dr. Raines. She’s in ICU. She needs a blood transfusion, but she’s tried several times to pull out her IV during the transfusion and afterwards. She’s not cooperating with the doctor or the nurses. They can’t keep her IV in long enough to complete the transfusion or give her sedatives. So, she’s just lying there, slowly going downhill.”

“Doesn’t she realize that Spengs is ok?!”

“What if we go up there and see her? Let her know he’s ok?” Winston suggested. 

Ray jumped back in. “I told her but I think she’s already decided not to fight this. It’s almost like she wants to die.”

“Well, that’s just BULLSHIT! Let’s get up there and let ME talk to her! I’ll straighten her ass out!” Peter demanded. 

Egon reached out and grabbed Peter’s arm. “Be careful with her, Peter. I’m not sure what’s going through her mind, but please be gentle. I have no ill feelings towards her; I completely understand why she did it.”

Peter smiled. “Don’t you worry. I’ll get her back.”

As Peter walked to Janine’s room, the nurse stopped him at the door. “Sir, I can’t allow visitors right now. She’s very unstable.”

Peter gave her a warm smile. “I’m Dr. Venkman, Ms. Melnitz’s psychologist. I’m going to have a session with her.”

The nurse returned the smile and allowed him to go in. Peter closed the door behind him. What he saw broke his heart.

Janine was sitting up in a chair by the window. She seemed even smaller than she normally is, her hair disheveled and no makeup. She had dark circles under her eyes, and obviously had not eaten in a while. She looked like she was barely able to hold her head up. As Peter sat down in the chair next to her, she turned her head and looked at him. She offered no smile, just looked back out the window.

“Hey kiddo,” Peter spoke softly. “It’s been a hell of a day?” 

Janine didn’t respond.

He continued. “Look, Spengs is fine. He understands why you did what you did. He’s not upset; nobody is. No damage was done; he’s gonna be ok. It’s you we’re all worried about. What’s wrong?”

She looked down at her hands folded in her lap. Tears ran down her face. 

Peter reached over and gently took her hands in his. “Janine, please, Honey. Talk to me.”

She looked up at him, her lips trembling. “I can’t go on,” she replied hoarsely. “How can any of you trust me after this? I don’t trust myself!”

“Listen, no trust has been broken. We had a particular problem on our hands, and you did what needed to be done. Egon’s just lucky that you’re a wimp!” He smiled.

She looked at him confused. “What?”

“Egon is alive! The stake didn’t go in far enough to damage anything! You didn’t have enough strength when you pushed it through!”

He could practically see Janine’s mind trying to process the information. 

“You mean, I didn’t ….kill him?”

Peter smiled. “No ma’am! He’s alive and well on the next floor down!”

“But I saw blood! He was lying on the floor, cold as ice!”

“You did penetrate the stake enough to draw blood. But not enough to kill him! He passed out once the holy water got in there. And his skin was cold anyway from where he had partially turned into a vampire. But, by the time Zed and Tex got him here, his cheeks were flushed and his skin was warming up!”

Janine looked down at her wrists, which had been covered with gauze and first aid tape. “They think I’m crazy then? I’m gonna get committed!” She started crying again, almost hysterically.

Peter hugged her up to him, wrapping her in his arms. “Shhhhh, no they won’t. I won’t let them. I’ll brush this off as a paranormal incident and that you’ll need recovery at home. They already think I’m your shrink!” 

Janine pulled back and looked at Peter, smiling. “Well … you are.”

He smiled back. “Now that you know Spengs is ok, do you think you’ll feel more like cooperating with the doctor and nurse now? Be a good girl and get better?”

She simply nodded. 

“No more pulling out the IVs? Let them give you the blood transfusion you need?”

She nodded again. 

“Ok, let me go tell the nurse so she can get that ready, ok? I’ll be right back.” He stood and kissed her gently on the forehead. 

Peter stepped just outside the door and explained everything to the nurse. She nodded and went to her desk to relay the information to the doctor. After a few minutes, she returned to update Peter.

“The doctor will put in the order for her blood transfusion right away.”

“Thanks. Can I make a suggestion?”

“What kind?”

“If I’m not mistaken, Ms. Melnitz is O Positive. So is Dr. Spengler. Can his blood be used if he agrees to it?”

“I don’t see why not?”

“Let me speak to him first.” Peter returned to Janine’s room. “The doctor is gonna get you lined up for a blood transfusion. If he’s ok with it, do you want Egon to be the donor?”

Janine looked at him, doubt obvious on her face. She shook her head no and looked back out the window. 

Peter stepped out to the nurse’s station and buzzed Egon’s room. Ray answered. “Hey, I’ve gotten through to Janine, but she still needs that transfusion. Is Egon ok with donating?”

Ray held the phone away from him and relayed the information. Egon smiled and gave a thumbs up. “Yeah, he’s good!”

“Is it possible given what we’ve been through? I mean, does he have vampire tendencies running through his blood now?” He laughed lightly. 

“Oh he’s fine! So are you!” Ray assured him. 

“Ok then! I’ll let the nurse know!” Peter confirmed with the nurse that Egon wanted to donate the blood for Janine’s transfusion. He returned to Egon’s room for a quick update. 

“Is she ok?” Egon asked worriedly.

“She didn’t even realize you were alive!” Peter explained. “That’s why she’s been so out of it and uncooperative! My guess is that when you guys tried to explain that to her earlier, she didn’t comprehend it. But I’m gonna stay with her just to keep an eye on her.”

“Thank you, Peter,” Egon said, a look of total relief on his face.

“No problem, Big Guy!” 

Suddenly, a nurse came running into Egon’s room. “Dr. Venkman! Come with me - NOW!”

Peter ran with the nurse to the ICU unit. His stomach turned when he realized he was being led back to Janine’s room. There were two male nurses in the room - one was holding her down while the other one was restraining her arms and legs.

“STOP! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO MY PATIENT?!” Peter shouted.

“The crazy broad tried to cut herself!” one of the nurses yelled back.

“Stop restraining her! That’s illegal!”

“She’s NUTS!”

“No she’s NOT! She’s under the influence of a paranormal entity!” Peter pushed the nurses away from Janine as she lay on the bed screaming. He placed his hand on hers and leaned in to whisper in her ear. “It’s ok, Janine. It’s Peter. I’m here.”

Immediately, she calmed down and lay still. She reached over with her other hand and gripped Peter’s arm tightly, a look of terror in her eyes. “It’s come for me! It’s here!” 

“Who? Who’s come for you?”

“The ghost that came out of Egon when I stabbed him!”

Suddenly, it all made sense. Peter turned and grabbed the phone by the bed. He called Egon’s room. 

“What’s going on?!” Ray answered. 

“Janine says the ghost came out of Egon when she stabbed him, and it’s here now to get her!”

“SHIT!” Ray mumbled. “We need to get her out of here and take her somewhere we can protect her!”

“I’m all ears!” Peter replied. 

“Janine is being targeted because she opened a channel when she stabbed Egon! The ghost needs a host. That’s why he was more aggressive than you were! It needs a host to feed off of.”

“You and Winston meet me at the ICU ward. I’m gonna need help moving her!” Peter hung up and ran to the nurse’s station. “I’m moving Ms. Melnitz to a more secure location!” 

“You can’t just demand a patient to be moved! Especially when they’re as screwed up as that one!” the nurse argued. 

“I don’t have time for this! Her life is in mortal danger! She’s got to be moved - NOW!”

Just then, Ray and Winston came running up to the desk. The nurse nodded. “I see. She’s part of that ghost busting crew, right?”

“Yes, and if you don’t release her, there’s gonna be a very bad situation up here!” Ray said urgently. 

Peter looked at Winston. “Come with me and help get her out of that bed and off the IV.”

“But she needs a blood transfusion!” the nurse yelled.

“She’ll be fine for now; she must be moved!” Peter replied.

Winston unhooked Janine from the IV line and began helping her stand. The flimsy hospital gown was tied in the back but her panties could still be seen. Winston removed his jumpsuit (he was fully dressed in jeans and a T-shirt underneath) and helped Janine put it on. 

Peter signed a release form that the nurse had shoved in his face stating that Janine was leaving against medical advice. Then, he and Ray helped Winston get her downstairs to Ecto-1.


	7. Showdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guys face off with the vampiric spirit and race to save Janine.

Peter was sitting in a chair next to his bed where Janine was quietly resting. He had given her a sedative as soon as they had returned to the firehouse.

Egon remained at the hospital. His ordeal had left him very dehydrated and his wound needed time to heal. He was very concerned about Janine, but he trusted the guys to take care of her.

Winston had walked around the entire firehouse with a PKE meter to ensure that the vampiric spirit wasn’t nearby. He went to the bunk room to check on Janine. 

“Why does she keep trying to hurt herself?” Winston asked. 

“She thinks if she dies, the ghost won’t come for her. It needs a host but if she’s dead, it’ll move on.” Peter replied. “At least, that’s my theory.”

“We’ve seen Janine face down demons. Why is she so afraid of this one?” Winston asked.

“I’m not sure unless it’s just that scary looking? You’ve seen it; it ain’t pretty!”

“I have a theory,” Ray said quietly.

“Let’s hear it!” Peter said.

“I’ve been reading books, trying to figure out exactly what it is we’re dealing with here. We’ve been wrong about this ghost. It feeds on emotions, but it’s not looking for a host. It just wants to feed off of our emotions.”

“Like the Boogieman?” Peter asked.

“Yeah, except this thing makes the Boogieman look like Santa Clause!” Ray explained.

“And it’s screwing with us emotionally?” Peter asked.

“Yeah. I think when Janine stabbed Egon, the ghost could sense how difficult it was emotionally for her. And now it’s hounding her, possibly even driving her to attempting suicide?”

Just then, the phone rang. Winston grabbed the one they had recently installed in the hallway. (They were tired of racing downstairs in the dark when they got late night calls.) “Hey Egon! Yeah, hang on!” He stuck his head in the doorway. “Ray, Egon wants to talk to you!”

Ray took the receiver. “Hey Iggy! Whatcha got?” Winston and Peter looked at Ray as he nodded, several ‘um-hmm’s’ and ‘ooh!’ being said. Finally, Ray ended the call. “Egon told me about the modification he was trying to do to his proton thrower when he was attacked. The modification would change the polarity of the stream, making it more powerful! I know how to do it! He thinks that’ll be strong enough to hold and capture the vampiric spirit!”

“Sounds good but we don’t know where it is. How do we lure it out?” Winston asked.

“I know how,” Peter replied, his eyes narrowed. “You guys just be ready.”

**********************  
An hour later, Ray had modified all the proton throwers to Egon’s specifications. He and Winston were geared and powered up, waiting just outside the bunk room. They had a third pack ready to go for Peter. He was in the bunk room with Janine. She was beginning to wake up after a somewhat fitful sleep.

She finally looked directly at him. “Why can’t you just let me go? I’m no use to anyone.” Tears silently ran down her cheeks. It seems that’s all she’s capable of right now.

Peter started to fully understand Janine’s motive. “Listen, this ghost has warped your thinking. You did what you did because everything else had failed. But you didn’t kill Egon!”

“I know! What kind of a friend does that to another?! And I only hurt him more! I’m no good to anyone! I can’t even kill myself right! I may as well be dead - I fail at everything!”

Peter knew it was time for tough love. “Shut up before I slap you! And don’t think I won’t cause I will!”

Janine quickly calmed down, giving Peter a shy look.

Peter continued, his voice soft and soothing. “Egon is gonna be fine. The holy water on the tip of the stake is what forced the ghost out. He was weak so he had passed out. But he only suffered superficial wounds; a couple of stitches and he’ll be discharged as soon as he’s properly hydrated. That ghost dehydrated him pretty badly. It’s you we’re all worried about, especially Spengs. You need a blood transfusion, but it can’t be done until you fully cooperate. If I understand this ghost correctly, it’s purpose is to feed off of your emotions. It’s using your feelings towards Egon against you.”

“Don’t you see, Peter?! If I truly loved Egon, I’d leave him alone! I only cause him to suffer!”

“No, Janine! It’s your love for him that’s keeping him alive!” Peter argued, desperately trying to make Janine see the truth. “Please Janine! Trust me! Trust what I’m telling you! If you die, Egon will, too! He loves you and doesn’t want to live without you! You’re strong! You’re smart! Think this through! You’ve faced down demons before and beat them! Fight this son of a bitch now! Stand up to it and let it know that it can’t take away your soulmate! It can’t take away your strength!”

Suddenly, the ghost materialized in the corner of the room. 

“RAY! WINSTON! HIT IT!” Peter shouted.

They quickly entered the room, taking the ghost by surprise as they caught it in the streams. Peter jumped up to grab his own pack.

However, once he stood, the ghost lunged at Peter as it temporarily broke free from the streams. 

“NO!” Janine screamed as she jumped off the bed, hurdling herself towards the ghost. 

Winston and Ray tried to stop the streams so as to not hurt Janine, but they weren’t quite fast enough. As Janine grabbed the ghost still hung in the streams, she released the ghost screaming in pain from the burns on her hands. She fell to the floor, writhing in pain. With her out of the way, Winston and Ray plus Peter now fired again. The three of them were able to catch the ghost in the streams again while it was still distracted by Janine’s attempt of catching it. 

Ray threw out the trap and opened it. As the ghost was being pulled into the trap, they heard it screaming at Janine: “Do what I told you! Your life is worthless! They will all be happier without you!” 

“I’ve heard about enough of YOU!” Ray yelled as he closed the trap, successfully capturing the ghost. 

Winston and Peter rushed over to see if Janine was ok. 

“Looks like second degree burns on parts of her fingers, but she’ll be ok if we can get her to the hospital,” Winston said. “But she’s weak, Peter. She really needs that transfusion.”

“Yeah, let’s get her back to the hospital,” Peter suggested. 

Ray quickly took care of the trap and joined the rest in Ecto. They rushed Janine to the hospital, where the nurse got her back for treatment immediately. Peter insisted on staying with Janine to make sure she cooperated with the staff. 

Winston and Ray went back to Egon’s room to update him on everything. 

“I can still donate my blood!” Egon offered. 

“That’s ok. We actually realized there’s another donor available!” Ray said.

“Yeah, and in much better shape than you!” Winston added with a chuckle. 

Egon looked at them confused. 

“We reached out to people we know who would be willing to donate,” Ray explained. “And found out that Dana is O Positive!”

“Hmmm, that’s interesting, considering she and Peter haven’t been together for nearly a year and a half now!” Egon said. 

“Actually, Peter reached out,” Ray added. “He thought he had heard her say in the past that she was O Positive. He called and explained the situation. She agreed immediately!”

“He’s likely hoping to get a date out of this?” Egon pointed out. 

“Yeah, that too!” Ray said, lightly chuckling. 

*******************************  
A few hours later, Egon was allowed to walk down to Janine’s room once the transfusion was completed. Dana was in the bed next to hers with Peter sitting between both beds. 

“Spengs! Hey buddy! We’re just catching up!” Peter said happily. 

“Dana, I’d like to thank you for your help in this,” Egon said. “I don’t know how to thank you enough.”

Dana returned a warm smile. “Well, it’s helped me reconnect with Peter, and it helped save Janine. That’s all the thanks I need.”

Peter smiled as he gave her hand a light squeeze. 

Egon stepped over to see Janine as Winston and Ray stayed on Dana’s side of the room to give them a little privacy. 

Janine groggily opened her eyes and smiled when she saw Egon sitting down beside her. He noticed she was trying to keep her arms covered, but he didn’t say anything. He knew time would heal her physical wounds; it was up to himself and Peter to heal her emotional ones.

He smiled as he reached over for her hand. “You don’t have to worry about the ghost; Peter, Ray and Winston caught it.” But when he realized she wasn’t going to reach out with her hand, Egon withdrew his, his smile fading. 

Peter noticed it and caught Egon’s eye. He simply gave Egon a nod and a wink, which seemed to satisfy the physicist for the time being. 

Janine slowly slipped into a much needed sleep. Egon sat quietly in a chair beside her bed watching over her. Winston stepped over to where Egon was sitting. 

“Give it time, man. She’s been through hell.”

Egon gave his friend a weak smile. “I know. I just hate seeing her like this. She’s usually so full of life and spunk. Now, she’s just …..,”

“I know ….. I know.”


	8. A New Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janine recovers at the firehouse.

As Janine rested, Peter spoke with Dr. Raines privately. It took some smooth talking, but he was finally able to convince her that Janine wasn’t suicidal, just being controlled by a ghost. 

He pulled the other guys into the hallway to talk to them. “Ok, I finally got the psychiatrist to agree to let us take Janine home. But she’s gotta stay at the firehouse under supervision, and I’m gonna be counseling her.”

They all nodded in agreement. 

Peter went back to sit beside Dana, who was sipping orange juice. “I can’t thank you enough for this, Dana. I mean that.”

She looked into his green eyes. “I know, Peter. Janine means a lot to all of you. When you told me what had happened, I didn’t even think twice.” She looked down nervously at her hands resting in her lap. “I had become good friends with her when we were dating.”

He smiled and reached over to hold her hand. “Where did we go wrong? What did I do?” he asked softly.

She looked back up at him, tears forming. “I was afraid.”

“Of what?”

“Of things like this happening to you. I didn’t think I could handle it. I still don’t.”

Peter hung his head, his hope fading.

Dana’s hand gently reached out for Peter’s, giving it a light squeeze. He raised his head slowly to look at her. “But I don’t want to go on living without you in my life.” 

Peter’s eyes shone, his smile returning. “I can’t promise you I’ll never get hurt, but I can promise that I’ll love you every day I get.” 

She opened her arms, inviting him to embrace her. Peter leaned in, wrapping his arms around her. “I’ve missed you so much,” he whispered in her ear.

“I’ve missed you, too,” Dana whispered back. 

The others were very happy for Peter and Dana. Now, their focus was on Janine’s health, both physically and emotionally.

***********************  
Back at the firehouse, Winston and Ray were turning the couch in the rec room into a bed. Dana had helped Janine pack some clothes and toiletries at her apartment before they returned. Peter was giving Egon some pointers.

“Remember Spengs: what Janine needs the most now is patience. I’m gonna talk to her but she needs rest first. She needs to know that she has our support, especially you.”

“Yes,” Egon agreed. 

As Dana helped Janine upstairs, the guys could tell she had been crying. Peter stepped forward, taking Dana’s place by Janine. 

“I’ll take her from here,” he whispered. He took Janine’s arm and escorted her to the rec room.

She sat down and looked down at her hands in her lap. Her fingers were bandaged from the burns she had sustained.

“Janine, I know you’re very tired, but can you talk a little?” Peter asked gently.

She simply nodded. 

“Do you feel any better since we finally caught that damn thing?”

“Yeah,” she whispered.

“Then what’s wrong?”

“Everyone thinks I’m a nut case.”

“No, not at all. I just agreed to keep you here for three reasons: 1) you’re too weak to be alone; 2) I told the doctor at the hospital that so we could take you home; and 3) Egon wants some time with you.” 

Janine’s head raised up at that point, a look of utter shock on her face. “He does?”

Peter smiled. “Yep! He wants to play nurse, I think.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

Janine smiled, the first one he had seen since this whole ordeal had begun. 

“Nice to see that smile again!” Peter said. “Now, eat this burger we picked up on the way back so you can take your meds.” 

The doctor had prescribed an antibiotic for her to take as a precaution and also a pain medication. The guys had them filled before returning to the firehouse. 

Janine was able to eat and took her meds, then laid down, falling asleep quickly. When she awoke an hour and a half later, Egon was sitting by her side. She sat up, looking at him with a shy expression. “Hi,” she said softly.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“A little better; I think the nap helped. Ummm … how are you?”

“Much better. I’m no longer dehydrated.”

“I meant …. what I did to you?”

“Janine, I understand why it happened. I’m not upset at all. You saved my life!”

“How can you SAY that?! I nearly KILLED YOU!”

Egon placed his hand over hers. “The vampiric spirit has taken over my body and mind. I tried to fight it, but ultimately you did what was necessary. That forced the ghost out of me.”

“But where was it all this time?”

“Ray, Winston and I discussed that. Winston had checked the firehouse before and no readings were found. The ghost showed up later when Peter got you upset.”

“He did that on purpose?”

“Yes. The spirit fed on our emotions. We knew it couldn’t be far away - it just wasn’t close enough for the PKE meter to pick it up. But when you became upset, that pulled it in to feed. They were able to capture it because I had given them the modifications to make on the throwers. I had attempted to do the same to mine when we first encountered the spirit, but I was attacked before I could complete it.”

“I knew better than to try and grab it when it was in the streams, but I panicked. I didn’t want it to attack Peter. I acted before I thought about it. I’m just stupid!” She hung her head again.

Egon used his fingertip to tilt Janine’s chin up. “You are not stupid. The spirit filled your mind with lies.”

“Did it fill your mind with lies, too? The things you said and did towards me - was any of it Real?”

“Yes and no. I say yes because what I said is true; I do love you. But I say no because of the reasons I said those things. The spirit wanted me to lure you in to be bitten and thus, creating a bond with you to control you.”

“It got in my head anyway.”

“Yes but it could have been worse with a bond to control you. It could have possessed you like it did with me.”

“I love you, too. But …..”

He leaned in closer to her. “But what?”

“Why have you fought your feelings for me for so long? Why are you admitting all of this now? Are things between us gonna go back to the way they were when you get nervous again? I don’t wanna be a girlfriend when it’s convenient for you! If we do this, it’s all the way. Otherwise, I’ll stop chasing after you.” Tears ran down her face.

Egon cupped her face in his hands, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. “It’s taken time for me to learn how to take down my defenses where emotions are involved. I was taught that being a scientist left no room for anything else. But I’ve since realized that I can adjust my career to allow room for more. When I saw what this ordeal has done to you, all I wanted to do was hold you close, kiss you and tell you that I love you.” 

He then leaned in, kissing Janine tenderly on the lips. She returned the kiss, gently placing her hands on his waist. They slowly broke away, touching their foreheads together. 

“This is what I want for us now,” Egon said softly. “I want us to be a proper couple, officially dating and spending time together after work.”

Janine smiled brightly. “And by ‘proper couple,’ you mean ….?”

“Once you get enough rest, I’d like to accompany you back to your place.”

“Mmm, sounds very nice.”

“Peter needs to have some sessions with you first.”

“That’s fine, but could you stay here with me for a while? I’m still tired and would like another nap.”

“Certainly.” Egon laid down on the sofa bed beside Janine, holding her gently against his chest.

He held Janine in his arms. “I will always be here for you Janine.”

She looked up into his eyes, smiling. “Always?”

“Til death we part.”


End file.
